The present invention relates to a device for transporting randomly arranged incoming products in equally-spaced manner.
The present invention is particularly suitable for packing machines in general, and cigarette packing machines in particular, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
In cigarette packing machines, the problem of transporting randomly arranged incoming products, in this case packets of cigarettes, in an equally-spaced manner is normally solved using devices comprising first and second conveyors perpendicular to each other; and a transfer device located over the point at which the two conveyors meet, and which provides, at a constant rate, for transferring the packets traveling in a randomly arranged manner on the first conveyor from the output end of the first conveyor to the input end of the second conveyor. As they are transferred, the packets are rotated 90.degree. in relation to the traveling direction, so that, if they are traveling, for example, along the first conveyor with the larger side facing forward, they are fed with the smaller side or the end surface facing forward along the second conveyor.
In other words, on known devices of the aforementioned type, equally spacing the randomly arranged incoming packets necessarily involves a 90.degree. variation in the traveling direction of the packets, and, consequently, 90.degree. rotation of the packets in relation to said traveling direction.
Such variations in both the traveling direction and the position of the randomly arranged incoming products in relation to the traveling direction are not always desirable. Generally speaking, in fact, only rotation of the product may be used to advantage, whereas the 90.degree. change in the traveling direction of the products poses serious problems as regards the size and overall design of the packing machine.